My Grandma's Teacups: Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter Part 2

Well, did you get your Prima Paper Doll Stamp all set up in your Cricut Explore? Of course you did! I knew you could do it. If you need to go over what we did this is the link.  Now comes the really fun part. I hope you remembered not to drink your coffee near your precious paper.....oh the horror....but that's another post.

Making Your Prima Paper Doll

You know that plastic 12x12 box that you use to collect all those teeny time pieces of paper that are just too good to throw out. Yah, the one on the shelf collecting dust. Go grab that. This is a great opportunity to put those itty bitty scraps to work. (and your husband said you would never need them......be sure he sees you using them, as though you had this planned from the start....seven years ago when you began saving scraps of paper.) 

For the small layers like the dress, shoes and stockings I try to find scraps that coordinate in the approximate sizes I want.

 You will need to use large pieces for the doll base and backer.

 Small confession. I made a horrible paper choice for this project as I chose a slightly shiny surface that does not hold the ink well. A flat finish would have worked much better.

 Remember to think about where the shadows on the dress would fall. The area that flares gets the most light and the creases are darker.



I used a wet glue. I just find it easier than messing with popdots or foam squares. You can choose your favourite adhesive and I won't judge you harshly.

 As our friend Rosiland Burch taught us earlier this week. A girl's accessories are very important. So go ahead and bling her up. Then we are done. Yay, see how much fun they are!

Be sure to follow my Prima Doll Pinterest board for plenty of inspiration on ways to use these adorable creations.

Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Prima mixed media dolls on Pinterest.

My Grandma's Teacups: Focus On You Series: Confidence under stress

You  may be wondering why I am writing this series of posts on focusing on ourselves. Well I think it falls under the old adage of:

And it's true right? If we don't feel well, or are having a rough day it sets the tone for the entire house.

My husband tends to be the stern one in our household but if I get grumpy the kids know it's a big deal. It means they crossed some magical invisible line and they are quick to reassemble on the other side.

The purpose of these posts are in fact just to help us focus on little things that we can do to make sure our cup is just that much more full? fuller??

Transitioning from summer activities to the business of fall can be very stressful and added to that the beginning of shorter days and dreary skies it important to be extra kind to yourself (and everyone else if at all possible.) My plan is to share small things that we can do to boost our self esteem and overall demeanor.

It would be wonderful if we could all just go check ourselves in for a day of pampering at St. Anne's Spa. Realistically I doubt many of us have the time or the funds for such royal treatment.

So here is my quick tip for the day: Find a really great deodorant.

Seriously. You would not believe the difference you will have in your day if you find the right deodorant. There is nothing as distracting as wondering if you smell sweaty. These days it politically incorrect to douse ourselves in perfume so our deodorants need to be that much more dependable. I have tried the rollie type that go on wet and smell nice but make you feel like you need  to flap like a bird for the first half hour its on. I have tried the spray ons that I find don't last. I have used the clear gels that feel like I have jello under my arms and I have tried the white bars that I like but find that I am using them a few times during the day. Which I may add is strange because I don't usually work very hard and don't sweat much :)

My latest Buzzkit was from Secret.

 I use secret anyway so this was a good gig for me. It was for their new clinical strength deodorant. I don't get paid for sharing my opinion...which is just wrong....but that is for another day....I received a trial size sample. Guess what. The stuff really works. I used it this weekend. As you know I have been ill for the past few weeks and this weekend I knew I was staying home in y comfy clothes. I put it on after my shower Saturday and it was still working when I decided to get dressed Sunday afternoon. (Don't judge me...lol). Usually I would have reapplied my deodorant several times in that much time. I have a phobia of smelling sweaty. So if you are looking for a quick boost to your overall feeling of well being, I would suggest trying Secret Clinical Strength...I used the solid so I don't know about the gel one.



Find the little things that will help you feel your best....and be a good friend and share them with us.

My Grandma's Teacups: Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter

So it's no secret that I am totally crazy about Prima Marketing's line of Julie Nutting Dolls Stamps. It seems I talk about them allot....ok...really really allot. But they are so fun to make. Some of my friends were less then excited about the stamps because they did not enjoy spending the time cutting out the multiple layers that make these dolls come to life. This diminished my joy somewhat as I wanted everyone to love them as much as I do.

Then one afternoon it struck me (not literally) but I figured out that if we eliminated the fussy cutting around the various layers the ladies could just enjoy the process of stamping and colouring the dolls. Bravo, I have my moments of brilliance. So I set to work creating cut files for my Prima Dolls. Some people will be aghast that I would suggest this. I am aware that some people will use this technique for evil and do the print then cut but I need to remind those folks not to get too excited because that feature only works on white paper. So follow along with the doll stamp of your choice. It;s a long process but you will only need to do it once and then you will have years of enjoyment dressing up your creations.

So the first step is to get an image of your stamp:

You could be very ambitious and scan your stamp or you can just google the stamp and borrow an image to use.


Now then, time to get to work. Log into your Cricut design space and start a new project.

Select all the layers for your doll and bring them into your design space. You may notice a few extra specks you missed when erasing. Take a moment and clear them up using an extra shape and the slice tool. This also works to straighten up any wiggly parts that you did not get a perfect image of. ( I get this allot because I have shaky hands). Remember to work with a duplicate of the piece you are working on so that you can have a fallback if something goes wrong.

The rest of the tutorial will be in the post on Thursday! 

Go Ahead, Its already posted

My Grandma's Teacups: Focus on You Series: Guest Post By by Rosiland Burch, Handcrafted Jewelry Designer

"Wearing Fierce Jewelry Makes You Feel Fabulous”

Women wearing fabulous jewelry that builds the self-esteem and confidence, is something that I get to experience with clients all of the time. Working with these extraordinary women on the daily bases, gives me the opportunity to peer into their world to see why they love wearing fabulous jewelry as the main accessory in their wardrobe as they conquer the world.

As a world renowned handcrafted jewelry designer, my job is to create beautiful jewelry that will transform each client into the fierce woman, who’s ready to take on life’s chances. We are talking fabulous everyday women, who takes on families, careers, educational pursuits, or reinventions due to life’s changes. These are the women that I have the absolute pleasure of accessorizing with fabulous jewelry.

 Now let us tell the truth!  We as women have a lot to deal with as we take on the cares of the world, which often takes the focus off of our personal needs as women. We get so caught up in taking care of home, meeting deadlines at work, or running businesses that we neglect the fact that we need to sparkle, while we are being the queen on the chessboard in the game of life.  That’s right, I said “sparkle.” Yes, I am talking about wearing jewelry that will start conversations or make you feel like you should be on the front cover of Vogue.  Fabulous baubles such as necklaces, statement pieces, chokers, earrings of all sizes and shapes, and rings with amazing color should adorn your ensemble. Believe me when I tell you that your favorite jewelry pieces can make a difference in how you perceive your situations in life. Walk with me for just a moment. Let’s say that you get up feeling some kind of way, “PERIOD”. You don’t really have time to recalibrate your thinking because you have to get everyone as well as everything in order before you leave, this includes yourself. So in the midst of everything,  you are thinking about what you are going to wear from head to toe as well as how fast you can get it on, so you start the day that you feel should end before it gets started. Now, this is because you are thinking about everyone else but yourself. Now, imagine restarting the same day with same set of circumstances. This time, you are taking a few extra minutes to plan your look. So now, you get to plan what you wear, which now includes the new or favorite jewelry pieces that makes you feel so empowered when you wear them as you take on this hellish type day. This change or sense of empowerment you feel comes from how you feel when you put on those pieces of jewelry that simply takes you somewhere within yourself that makes you feel fierce, powerful, and fabulous in your own right. Even I, have a kickass statement necklace that makes me feel like I am on top of the world!

Article by Rosiland Burch, Handcrafted Jewelry Designer

Website:  www.stojewels.com